John Tholen, his coach said, was recruited more because of his athleticism and less for his
volleyball credentials, having picked up the sport only a few years before making the team at Ohio
State.

“Honestly,” Tholen said, “I wasn’t that good. I needed to develop.”

Other players might struggle with a decision to redshirt, but Tholen embraced the opportunity to
sit out during his first season.

And, although he still saw little playing time during the next two seasons, starting in only
four matches, he gained invaluable experience by training with the team that, in 2011, won the
first NCAA title in Ohio State men’s volleyball history.

Now, as Tholen prepares to start his senior season on Saturday against St. Francis University,
his experiences during the past five years are paying off.

With a post-graduation job already lined up at Mettler Toledo, the mechanical-engineering major
has completed most of his coursework and won’t have to worry much about doing homework on the
bus.

Tholen can focus more on building from his previous season, when he started as a middle blocker
in 28 games and contributed 137 kills. He led his team as a captain, inspired by the seniors on the
national-championship team.

“Now, it’s his opportunity to lead a group to see if we can accomplish those things,” said head
coach Pete Hanson. “Knowing John, he’s going to do everything in his power to try to get
there."

Tholen tried the sport as a freshman in a Hilliard Darby High School gym class, where a member
of the volleyball team thought he was pretty good — or, at least, at 6 feet, tall.

As he shot up another 6 inches, he grew to love volleyball, calling it one of the best team
sports.

“No one person can really take over the game,” he said. “You and everyone around you need to be
playing well.”

The son of Ohio State alumni, Tholen was a fan but never expected to be a Buckeye athlete. With
West Coast schools largely dominating men’s volleyball, he is happy to play for a team only 20
minutes from home.

“I have a lot of pride for Ohio, Ohio State, the Midwest,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to
represent our region.”

Hanson said the team’s goals have solidified since the success of 2011.

“Now, it’s understood,” he said. “This is what we have accomplished; there’s no reason why we
can’t accomplish those things again.”